


The Rise of Fulcrum

by TheNightFury



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Agent Fulcrum - Freeform, Alexsandr Kallus (Mentioned) - Freeform, Gen, How Kallus became Fulcrum, Post The Honorable One's, This fic is thanks to the Rebels Remembered Panel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 14:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18523630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNightFury/pseuds/TheNightFury
Summary: Ahsoka makes a surprise visit to Atollon to ask Zeb about a new potential Fulcrum agent that is a surprise to everyone but Zeb.





	The Rise of Fulcrum

**Author's Note:**

> So as the tags suggest, the Rebels Remembered panel at SWCC, specifically the question regarding how Kallus could become a Fulcrum agent, and I kind of went crazy. Hope you like it!

It was a strangely quiet day on Atollon. The Ghost Crew hadn’t been given a new assignment in several days nor even heard from Ahsoka. Though hearing from Ahsoka wasn’t exactly common, they usually would have heard about a Fulcrum transmission by now at least, but there was nothing. If Zeb was honest with himself, it was probably a good thing he wasn’t going on missions right now, he didn’t know what he would do if he ran into Kallus. 

Ever since Bahryn, Zeb didn’t know how he felt about Kallus. On the one hand, he had been mercilessly hunting his family down in the name of the cruel Empire. But on the other, it was obvious Kallus actually believed the Empire was what was best for the Galaxy and that the Rebels where the evil one’s who killed for the sake of killing. Though Zeb knew Kallus was wrong to believe that, it was hard to justify hating him for being tricked and deceived by the Empire who took advantage of his pain to twist him up and use him to their ends. 

At the end of the day though, Kallus was an Imperial agent and Zeb was a Rebel. They were enemies. At least, that’s what Zeb had to keep reminding himself. On Bahryn, the lines got blurred. They were enemies, but they were each other’s only hope of surviving that hell hole. They had to become allies in order to survive, and they should have parted ways as enemies once again. Should have, being the key word. Once someone was an ally, even temporarily, it was hard for Zeb to see them as anything but.

They fought and survived through hell together, learned about each other in ways he only ever did about his brothers in arms. He could almost see Kallus’s unit being mercilessly torn to shreds….by a Lasat. The thought still made Zeb sick, but he couldn’t deny that it was true. A Lasat Honor Guard broke every sacred rule of honorable combat and permanently destroyed someone who may have become an honorable and loyal member of the Rebellion, had a rebel not done the unthinkable to his unit. 

It was a mess, a mess Zeb didn’t want to try an untangle, but one that he would inevitably have to, and it would probably be best to do it before he had to come face to face with Kallus. Thinking of him, Zeb couldn’t help but wonder what Kallus was thinking. Was he as torn up about all of this as Zeb was? Zeb wanted to say no, but with how Kallus was in the end…at the time, Zeb pretended to ignore the fact that Kallus had definitely allowed Zeb to fall asleep on his shoulder and that he was annoyed when they woke up and he shoved Zeb off. They were both pretending, because to acknowledge the fact that there was…. something between them. It was dangerously stupid, Kallus could use that the manipulate him and put his friends in danger,

But…he knew Kallus would never do that. He had more honor than that, even as an Imperial Agent. There was a difference between presenting an irresistible prize to lure the Rebels out, and taking advantage of the things that were shared to him in a moment of vulnerability. Besides, Kallus had done his share of revealing secrets that Zeb could use as well if he wanted. Not that he ever would. Maybe that’s why Kallus shared so much, because he also realized Zeb would never stoop to that level. Deep down, they both knew the other would not act in such a dishonorable way. 

All of this only made it even harder for Zeb to figure out what he would do when they eventually faced each other again as enemies. Could he fight someone who had been his ally? Zeb honestly didn’t know. It was easy to say he could, but in actuality? Kallus could have killed him on Bahryn when Zeb threw him to safety. He could have, but he didn’t. Initially Zeb thought Kallus had planned to shoot him, but deep down he knew he never did at that point. He was certain Kallus had been playing the long game when he climbed out of the cave to face Kallus pointing his bo-rifle down at him and unflinchingly fired, only for the bolt to fly past him and hit the beat that would have surely dragged him back down and killed him.

Complicated was the only way to describe the situation now with Kallus. What would he do when he inevitably had to face him? He wanted to believe he could fight him, but deep down, he was coming to the realization that no, he couldn’t fight him. Even if it might lead to his death. 

“Zeb,” Ahsoka said, startling him out of his thoughts. “Are you with us?”

“S-sorry I don’t know where Kanan and Ezra are,” Zeb quickly said, assuming that’s what she had been trying to ask him. Ahsoka flashed a small smile before saying,

“I was actually looking for you.” 

“…why?” Zeb slowly asked, unable to fathom why Ahsoka would want or need to talk to him of all people. 

“I needed your opinion on something,” Ahsoka explained. 

“My opinion?” Zeb incredulously asked.

“Yes, yours,” She clarified. “I have been following someone who could potentially become another Fulcrum agent for the Rebellion.”

“Aren’t you Fulcrum?”

“Multiple Fulcrum agents would be highly advantageous,” Ahsoka explained. “If there were multiple agents it would be harder to track any of one us down.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Zeb admitted. “But why do you want my opinion?”

“I need you to trust me Zeb,” Ahsoka began. 

“Um-“ Last time Ahsoka said to trust her she forced Kanan to come face to face with clones without even the courtesy of a warning. 

“The person I have in mind is…..someone who has done unforgivable things. Especially to you and your team-“

“Family,” Zeb corrected. 

“Yes,” Ahsoka said. “They’ve done horrible things, but the Rebellion is desperate and I think they maybe have changed. They aren’t so loyal to the Empire anymore.” Could she be talking about Kallus? That would explain why she wanted to talk to him. Though this was sounding less and less like asking for an opinion and more and more like he needed to just accept what she was saying regardless of how he felt. But still, if it was Kallus and he was trying to change, Zeb certainly would be willing to give him a chance. Zeb had seen an honorable man beneath the pain and anger. He was there, someone just had to give him a chance. 

“It’s Kallus isn’t it?” Zeb said. 

“How did-“

“I know he’s changed,” Zeb continued. “When I crashed on Bahryn, Kallus was with me. He saved my life.” 

“I didn’t know that-“

“No one does,” Zeb said. “He….he wanted it that way. What makes you so sure he’s not so loyal to the Empire?”

“He’s been doing some digging,” Ahsoka began. “Into Geonosis…..into Lasan.”

“He has?” Zeb asked. 

“I know it doesn’t mean we have to forgive hi-“

“It’s too early to decide if he can never be forgiven,” Zeb firmly said. 

“After all he’s done you sh-“

“Let me stop you,” Zeb said. “You don’t decide what I can or cannot forgive. I decide that. You claim you wanted my opinion and I have given it. I believe Kallus is capable of changing, and if you think he is changing, then he is.”

“Well….alright then,” Ahsoka said. “Thank you for that.”

“Yea,” Zeb said. “Now unless you need anything else…?”

“No, that’s all I needed, thank you.” Ahsoka said. “I have a lot of work to do.”

“Yes you do.” The cruel and merciless Agent Kallus had died on that ice moon. Zeb didn’t know the man who walked off of the moon, but Zeb was sure he was a man worth giving a chance to.


End file.
